About 100 delegates from all over the country chant, "So goes Maine, so goes the country," as they march out of the Republican National Convention. They were sympathetic to the plight of Ron Paul's Maine delegates, who were not seated at the convention.

Recording artist Ayla Brown sings the national anthem as the Amputee Veterans of America Support Team presents the colors at the Tampa Bay Times Forum in Tampa during the Republican National Convention.

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, center, listens as Ayla Brown sings the national anthem during the presentation of colors by the Amputee Veterans of America Support Team at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

Mitt Romney campaign buttons are showing up at the breakfast pep rally for the California delegation at the Tradewinds Hotel in St. Pete Beach. With a rain-shortened session, most of the delegation spent the day away from the convention hall.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie speaks to the media on the floor before the start of the abbreviated first day of the Republican National Convention at the Tampa Bay Times Forum on Monday in Tampa, Fla. The RNC is scheduled to convene today, but will hold its first full session Tuesday after being delayed due to Tropical Storm Isaac.

The delegation signs are ready at the Tampa Bay Times Forum, site of the the Republican National Convention. The convention has been shortened to three days because of severe weather from Tropical Storm Isaac in the Gulf of Mexico.

2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla.

On the final day of the RNC, presidential nominee Mitt Romney addressed the convention delegates.

He officially gained the Republican presidential nomination on a day when his party tried to steer national attention toward its storm-shortened convention in Tampa, Fla.

At Tuesday’s proceedings,hastily reprogrammed because of cancellations Monday due to the storm called Isaac, Romney’s wife, Ann, and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie were the prime-time attractions. Their appearances were designed to give voters a more intimate glimpse of the GOP nominee and to amplify Romney’s critique of President Obama.

Ann Romney’s deeply personal speech, woven around the story of their life and family, was also a paean to women — a voter group that has been largely resistant to her husband — as the pivotal force in everyday life.

“I love you women! And I hear your voices,” she said during 21-minute speech punctuated with nervous laughs. “You are the best of America.”

When she was done, her husband emerged from backstage, past a collage of black-and-white blowups from the family album, to hug her and deliver two brief kisses. “You were fabulous,” he told her.

Christie, the tough-talking Jersey pol, was chosen by Romney to deliver the evening-ending keynote address, a convention staple that typically features some of the most combative rhetoric of the entire event.

Christie delivered an outsider message aimed at the nation’s leaders, prefaced by a long description of his own life and gubernatorial record.

The governor never mentioned Obama by name. His most direct reference accused “Mr. President” of being poll-driven, a familiar gibe at incumbents.

“I’m here to tell you tonight that it is time to end this era of absentee leadership in the Oval Office and send real leaders to the White House. America needs Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan, and we need them right now,” Christie said to loud applause. Romney looked on from the audience, seated between his wife and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

One of the hardest-hitting attacks on Obama came from unsuccessful GOP presidential contender Rick Santorum. The socially conservative former Pennsylvania senator assailed Obama’s election-year executive actions to spare some young illegal immigrants from deportation and allow states to seek waivers from the federal welfare law that Santorum helped draft.

“President Obama rules like he is above the law,” Santorum said. “Americans take heed: When a president can simply give a speech or write a memo and change the law to do what the law says he cannot do, we will no longer be a republic.” He accused Obama of creating “a nightmare of dependency” and drew cheers with a rare podium reference against abortion.

5 Comments

As a voter that does not vote party but does vote concience Romney is the only choice. It is not just about Obama it is about his affiliiates. You cannot surround yourself with mirror images of yourself and successfully govern a diverse poopulation… Nor can You promote change when you are close minded and not open to changing yourself and You certainli cannot work or believe you are above the laws of the very goverment you are representing. More has been done to tear us down than build us up. I am a 65 and work full time. I need SS and medicare for when I can no longer work but not at the expense of my grandchildren.

Such a hypocrite with offshore tax haven accounts with his 'anti-christ' pick for a v.p.who voted for allll wars, tax breaks for the rich WITHOUT paying FOR ANY OF IT. THEY are WHY we are HERE today int the state we're in!~ GEORGE BUSH and HIS cronies who are ALL running Mitt' the bad seed' Romney.

I thought that the RNC Convention was fantastic! I am happy to be a conservative and not have to listen to all the accusatory, mean-spirited speeches. I will watch some of the Democratic Convention, but cannot sit and listen to the "Blame It on Bush" and everyone else in the world. I think that the people of America found out who our conversatives are and what a blessing it is to have Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan on the same ticket. I was also impressed with Mia Love. Marco and Condi were fantastic, but Mia was a first for me. You "Go Girl"!
All in all, I was very happy with the outcome of the Convention.

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